The Portsmouth City Council adopted changes to the city’s Zoning Ordinance, which will go into effect this Friday. The changes include changing the definition of wetlands to include smaller areas. According to an article that appeared in today’s Seacoast online, “changing from 21,780 square feet (a half acre) to 10,000 square feet —approximately the size of two basketball courts — will mean more property owners will be required to receive a conditional use permit to make changes to their property inside the wetland buffer. That process requires review of the Conservation Commission and ultimate approval of the Planning Board.”

Portsmouth is in the midst of proposed changes to current zoning ordinances. The public has been informing the process through a series of public hearings.

An item of particular interest to the readers of this blog is the city’s definitions of wetlands, specifically the “reduction of the city definition of a wetlands from approximately 21,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet.” This would result in regions being considered wetlands that were not previously defined as such.